Tag Archives: sun

Bead dazzling

Don’t let yesterday’s rain get you down. The sun is out for today’s Mardi Gras Oak Cliff celebration with its fourth annual parade. But it starts off with a crawfish boil and street party in the Bishop Arts District. Live music, food and beer will get you revved up for the parade. From Davis and Montclair to the Bishop Arts District, the parade rolls on through featuring floats, live bands, bicycle rides and more. And kinda makes us jealous of Oak Cliff.

Edward Jendrzey, whose office is in Waxahachie in Ellis County, received the court-ordered appointment Thursday, Feb. 16. Jendrzey accepted the case after Steve Keathley, a Corsicana attorney whose wife is the president of the Navarro County Bar Association, declined an appointment by District Court Judge James Lagomarsino to represent the journalist.

In a telephone interview today, Jendrzey said, “Yes, he knows I’m representing him,” when asked whether he had met with his new client, who reached out for help from the media this week in a handwritten letter from jail. When a defendant declares himself to be indigent and asks for a court-appointed attorney, that is supposed to occur within 72 hours. In the letter, Dauben also again claimed he is innocent of the charges.

Jendrzey said his first step in Dauben’s representation will be to conduct an independent investigation of the case to learn the circumstances and to attempt to get Dauben’s $200,000 bond set by Lagomarsino lowered. “I’ll be meeting with the prosecutor about that,” Jendrzey said. Dauben’s family and friends have been unable to raise the 10 percent (or $20,000) payment bond agencies typically charge to get a defendant released from jail.

Another day, another list of queer cities written by someone out of state who clearly doesn’t understand just how awesome Houston is. This one from Jezebel.com uses internet search results to determine the most “Lesbianish” cities in America. Two Texas cities make the grade: Austin at 10th and Houston at 18th (so Houstini’s Dallas Voice overlords can take their rainbow colored tower and stick it where the sun don’t shine).

From the Jezebel.com article:

“Houston’s the largest city in the country with an openly gay mayor, the 12th most populated-with-gays US city and it’s also just one of the largest cities in the country, period. A string of unseemly governors have no powers against Houston’s thriving community and legendarily enormous Pride parade. Chances, one of the largest lesbian bars in the world, recently shut down; but there’s still drinks to be had at places like Blur, The Usual and F Bar and additional queer activities happening at the Houston LGBT Youth Center, The Houston GLBT Political Caucus and Houston’s LGBT film festival, QFest. Houston’s Rice University has a healthy queer community as well.”

A depressed bride becomes her own ideal husband; the sun god is seduced by a warrior sent by his lover, the king; the world’s longest love poem is collectively composed on a dress; these, and other performance await at KALI at The Orange Show (2402 Munger Street), February 11 from 6-9 pm. The collection of performance pieces is named after Kali, the Hindu goddess of change and distruction and, in honor the upcoming Valentine’s day relationship gauntlet, explores ideas of relationships.

The venue for this project is Houston’s own outsider art masterpiece, The Orange Show. Built by postman Jeff McKissack over 24 years starting in 1956, The Orange Show covers a south-east Houston lot with found objects celebrating McKissack’s favorite fruit and his belief that hard work and good nutrition are the secrets to long life. The pieces in KALI are built to integrate with the surreal environment of The Orange Show and “take participants on a performance art adventure that will leave them with a new depth of appreciation for the dark side of love.”

According to Continuum Art Collective which is producing the event:

In “Unveiled,” a performance exploring self-acceptance and gender through self-love, Koomah embodies a depressed bride who repeatedly hurts herself in creative ways, culminating in a dramatic transition into a happy groom through an injection of testosterone.

In Joy Moore’s “All’s Fair”, a carnival-influenced game, couples (or friends) are given the opportunity to be rewarded by either protecting the one that they adore, or getting revenge for pain caused by the partner. Will the night end in disharmony or deeper love?

Julia Wallace follows the the arc of a love affair in a a self guided adventure for couples (pre-existing or two people who have just met at the event). The adventure consists of a variety of activities and actions that will have the couple exploring the venue and exploring each other. The result will be an experience like no other and a relationship that is forever changed.

Daniel-Kayne and John Pitale’s band “Cosmic Waves” present ‘The Seduction of Mithras,’ a performance that takes us through a journey of sounds representing a story of seduction, jealousy and love. Mithras the Persian Sun God is seduced by a beautiful warrior who is in the service of the King of Persia, his lover. This sound piece employs gongs, chimes, drums and audience participation.

In “The Wrath of Kali,” Continuum’s members deconstruct marriage, family life, and identity, by playing wedding videos overlayed with a soundscape made with found objects and pre-recorded tracks. Performers will then circulate through the audience, doing interactive performances, as they go. Finally, performers will score and chastise Raindawg, and then welcome him into a new identity.

Tina McPherson discusses and spreads love by attempting to compose the Longest Love Poem, inviting the audience to write romantic expressions on canvas from her lovely dress.

Gay in the burbs

Kisa Jackson opens her play After the Rain the Sun Will Shine tonight in Garland. Garland isn’t a hotbed for LGBT anything making Jackson’s show even more exciting. The show is about eight friends who put their boundaries to the test when a whole lot of bad factors start creeping in. So much so, they have resolve it all in group therapy. The show plays for this one night only, so don’t miss out.

Lesley Gore turns 65 on Monday. Much has changed in music since singer Lesley Gore recorded her biggest hit “It’s My Party” back in 1963. But maybe it was Gore who “changed” the most. The iconic singer came out as lesbian in 2005 and stated she knew in her late teens that she was attracted to women. Now we have to go back and listen to all her lyrics again.

……………………………….

THIS WEEK

Uranus, newly in Aries, cranks up spontaneous individualism and assertion. The sun is in Taurus, semi-square to Uranus provoking a lot of stubbornness. Don’t challenge others with an uppity, obstinate attitude; look for creative new ways to show loyalty and resilience.

………………………………

TAURUS Apr 20-May 20
Life’s tough blows have been piling up, but don’t let it give you piles. Much as people depend on the solid, reliable you, you need to be able to let it out and lean on someone else.

GEMINI May 21-Jun 20
Your friends are only human. Don’t take disappointments to heart. Cutting off communications is a big mistake, but so is over-talking the problem. A short break may be best.

CANCER Jun 21-Jul 22
Your friends’ ideas fare too much from the heart, not enough from the brains. Going along with them could hurt your rep and your wallet. Thank them for their ideas and change the subject.

LEO Jul 23-Aug 22
In your ideal relationship you’re the star married to your agent or manager. That means you can’t always be the boss! Arguments are normal but listening remains more important than speaking.

VIRGO Aug 23-Sep 22
Novel sex techniques are a blast but require some safety. They also open up a lot of suppressed feelings. How well do you know your partner? Just be sure that he or she can be trusted.

LIBRA Sep 23-Oct 22
You and your mate have a great time exploring kinky new fun. Anything from silk scarf bondage to cattle prods is open to testing. Slow, careful and easy is the best approach, at first anyway.

SCORPIO Oct 23-Nov 21
You are part of a team and everyone else is as important as you. As much as your special talents do contribute to the team, cultivate humility as one of those talents.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22-Dec 20
Argue about movie, art, sports, anything fun or creative; you’re sure to find amazing new ideas. Keep your mind and ears open and respectful of other notions. Be polite with the idiots.

CAPRICORN Dec 21-Jan 19
Livening up your home life should be a fun creative challenge, not a painful economic one. Unleash your dark side in planning changes, but not in how you treat housemates.

AQUARIUS Jan 20-Feb 18
Criticism of family, housemates or your community is surprising in its harshness. If you can’t be kind, give your loved ones a break and look for schmucks who deserve your wrath.

PISCES Feb 19-Mar 19
Financial surprises work your nerves. You need a break. Try something new and different even if it’s just a quiet stroll in a park or country road you’ve never trod before.

ARIES Mar 20-Apr 19
The cost of living force some choices in how you unwind. Look ahead 10 years and imagine what friendships, talents and skills you’d like to have developed through your hobbies.

While you watch the beginning of tonight’s lunar eclipse, keep in mind Irish boy band Westlife’s cover of the Bonnie Tyler classic “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” This was the only way I could really tie the celestial event to a gay tune. By that I mean Mark Feehily, right. The band never made it big in America, but they made headlines when Feehily came out back in 2005 to The Sun. He and his partner Kevin McDaid, who was in the Brit band V, announced their engagement in January of this year.

Back to tonight, it’s reported that the totality of tonight’s eclipse will start happening around 1:30 a.m. However, around 12:30 a.m., you will be able to see the beginning of the eclipse. As much as I’d like to put that astronomy class to good use, I think I’ll wait for the video.